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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. degree — an amount
  3. key — in music
  4. present — there
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stem — to come from
  12. present — a gift
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. degree — temperature
  20. key — the most important part
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. present — the time now
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com